*Chloe Aiello*
The Food and Drug Administration confirmed reports Thursday it would seek to impose new restrictions on most flavors of e-cigarettes in a move to combat an "epidemic" number of teen vapers.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb [announced the news in a statement](https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm625884.htm) on Thursday, in which he references his work as a doctor and his personal history with cancer among other reasons that reducing the number of young smokers is so important to him.
Mint, menthol, and tobacco flavors are notably absent from the new restrictions, which rather than imposing a blanket ban, require that all flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems, or e-cigs, are sold in "age-restricted, in-person locations and, if sold online, under heightened practices for age verification." That means pods will no longer be sold in convenience stores, or anywhere that permits teens easy access.
In the statement, Gottlieb also proposed bans on flavored cigars and menthol in combustible tobacco products, which includes both cigars and cigarettes.
Following [reports the FDA was considering a comprehensive crackdown on flavored nicotine and methol products,](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/health/fda-menthol-cigarettes-ban.html) including mint and menthol, [Juul preemptively halted sales](https://cheddar.com/videos/juul-pulls-products-abandons-social-media-feeds-under-pressure-over-teen-vaping) of its mango, fruit, creme, and cucumber-flavored pods at more than 90,000 retail stores and tightened age restrictions on online sales. It also said it would shut down its social media accounts to avoid inadvertently advertising to teens.
Juul, which claims more than 70 percent of the U.S. e-cigarette market share, has been under intense scrutiny by the FDA and anti-smoking groups, which allege it has contributed to a spike in teen vaping.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
